I Will, with God’s HelpLent 2012

The First Promise

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

Acts 2: 14a, 36-42Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the multitude, "Let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”…

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

They devoted themselves…

Learning

Fellowship

Breaking Bread

Prayers

In the Episcopal Church today…CANON 17: Of Regulations Respecting the LaitySec. 1 (a) All persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in this Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptisms have been duly recorded in this Church, are members thereof.

Active membershipCanon I.17.3: “All communicants of this Church

who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered communicants in good standing.”

The Liturgical TraditionThe spiritual resources of the apostles’ teaching and fellowship…

A Language for Prayer and Meditation

A Pattern for the Spiritual Disciplines• Fasting• Penitence• Silence• Pilgrimage• Feasting• Almsgiving

An arena for an encounter with God

Signs, symbols, and rituals by which to express our relationship with God

A model for the Christian life and community

Strength in times of spiritual crisis

The call of every Christian…discover dailyworship weeklyserve monthlygive regularlylove always

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

I will, with God’s help.